I've lived in Mid Canterbury now for 14 years, in that time I have been a member of the Methven and Districts Tramping Club for all but one year. Rabbit Hill and Trig M has appeared on the trip scheduled at least once every year, and so far either I have not been available to do the trip or it has been cancelled due to weather or lack of numbers.

This trip was going to be a mix of driving from the Potts River up to Curtis Memorial Hut, then a return walk up to St Winifreds Hut. As it was also well into the roar, we were expecting a full valley and equally full huts, so we were prepared to be tenting out for the night.

After an uncharacteristically last minute organisation, a wild Waitangi weekend was had on the Lewis Pass Tops. By last minute, I mean we planned it on Thursday and left Ashburton after work on Friday heading for Hanmer Springs for the night. With spirits high and eager anticipation for the trip ahead, we arrived in Hanmer about 8pm and set about repacking and getting the final few supplies.

Mt Peel stands out along the Canterbury Foothills, driving up and down State Highway 1 between Rakaia and Timaru it’s hard to miss. The three peeks of Peel have caught my attention for years, unfortunately I have never been able to make it on a trip to any of the peaks. So on the bucket list it went.

Foggy Peak lies at the top of Porters Pass and is visible from just about all over Mid Canterbury. Every time I am heading west via Porters Pass it captures my attention. I have been on top of Foggy Peak five times now, one of those times was via an alternative route to the top, the other four vis the steep climb from the top of the pass. Everything you will read about Foggy says that starting from here cuts the climb in half, but it doesn't make the climb any less difficu

October is a funny time of year here in Canterbury, it's getting warmer, the nor' westers are dying out but the weather is still very much up and down. So it was with my planned weekend trip that ended up being Plan D. But it's always a good idea to be flexible, be prepared to change according to the weather and sometimes accept defeat.

My plans to head up to Mt Guy on Saturday were looking interesting, on Tuesday night we had the tramping club meeting and I had to get up and tell everyone what the plan was. I had a rough plan, that was potentially going to change on the day, but I was resolved to head out regardless.

Finally!!! This one has been on the radar for some time, but as with all tramping, weather, companions and available time has not quite...

It’s been a few years since I have set foot on the flanks of Mt Winterslow, but time passes quickly and it’s always good to get a different perspective. A number of years ago, I was still a new member of the local tramping club and eager to experience my big new back yard of Mid Canterbury.

The plan for Saturday was for a group of about 10 Polaris RZR's to spend the day heading up the Rangitata River Valley to Mistake Flat Hut and back. Saturday in Ashburton dawned misty and foggy, but the Canterbury High Country forecast via Metservice promised a beautiful day.

Kakahu Bush is 15 kilometres from Geraldine, on the way to Fairlie. It's somewhere I have heard of but never been to before, and was glad to have the opportunity to check it out.

Area: Nelson Lakes National Park Duration: 6 nights/7 days Day 1 - D'Urville Hut to Tiraumea Hut We had an early 6.00am departure from...

The initial part of this track follows a marked walking/mountain biking track that takes you to Lake Emma, but to get to Mt Harper you divert off this track and aim for the clearest spur going up. There is no marked path and the initial climb is significantly steep, but the views are worth the effort.

We hatched a plan to head to the West Coast of New Zealand's South Island, road tripping on the way there and back, and spending two nights in Franz Joseph township.